The Dillon tribune., 1887-04-08
a,ppES IDENTITY
>, v,,,.n K'''ao''. o'''''-''
history :, r..a. Like Romance

ASa" ..,.,,,.r Kissane, which Is SUR
''s% sssa with so much mystery, ..,' anu =, " Nav.
''''as' as.,d b<lore Recorder Smith, IN New
r's he''a 49, u. 1t inst, has attracted i'm
YOU, ''., attention in California. Inns ~, IS "ne w
@ea's 60 t.s, .' thu, Kissane is known to oe one
''ss ne NO. most promines and wealthy citizens
Of IL The ',.a.a,' a'v', and connected by marriage
''.''"., = '"..y leading families !" TINS CITY,
.,'r .' "' attempt. have been made made, 0y tine the
a.": '.': II San Frannisco at the ae.ua' 'ae.'
p'es'v' 80. -. and unearth the identity OF this
a,.':,iou. st: individual. The immediate ,;a no,
"!.s ''!,.,, of the case is due to the motion
'''s' ., - = coun.e, for J. B. Hart OF this city
mace as.. y . ,olys >roseq.e entered in the in
'e"a '.,a,.,t for forgery on file in the District
a's''s.s 's''s.,,s ooBc: in New York against this
MAN., MAN, william Kissane. the indictment
".' ~. e., the forgery OF check Tor $4,000
!, NJ, ,s,4, S.; ." the Chemical Bank Of Nc"
~" nom;nent gentleman, who knows
-. w,,l and who knew him in the
r,., m and who has been as has ais" his
,,;,v , severe sufferer BY kissan:, gave
,,s Associated Press reporter the tu'l
~, If Kjssnuc's career, su7pressing only
~ .,,,n,a which he is known by in Ca!'for'
ta.
!, NAV he said ,ha, kis>anc is one oi the
nos, oro,niuen, and wea|,hiss, residents Of
so,on,a county, and that his half brother
:, i, ,,ominen, attorney of this city and his
e,nncctions by marriage arc all leading So
es,y people.
The sta,emen, OF this gentleman is as
1,,ows: It is believed that the statements
made through Jesse b. Hart in New York
and ,slegraphed here have revealed the
IDENTITY Of Kissanc, and may probably lead
r., complete disclosure Of his criminal
,,ctices in the past. 1t is wei! known by
certain parties tha. Kissane has been guilty
dielouy since his arrival in California.
Ht i unrepentant and seeks only the re.
aoval ofthe legal disabilities and penalties
b, his past crimes. He is still under in.
ltmen, for forgery in New York City
and ior murder in Arkansas, Resulting
l,om tho great los, Of life by the burning
Of The steamer "Mar,ha Washington
bound from Cincinnati 70 New Orleans,
near Helena, Arkansas, on the night OF
Jan. 18th 1882. He was, on his indict.
mvn,s, in January, 1858, together with
some others, placed on trial for conspiracy
and defrauding insurance companies by
fc,icious cargoes said to be on the steamer
"Mar.ha " ashington." He was convicted
On three occasions in Cincinnati on these
charges, but each time managed to cvade
the law. After this he was arrested for
murder and taken to Helena, Arkansas
but owing to lack Of county funds and
the neglect Of Congress to provide an ap'
propriation for his prosecution he again
escaped the clutches OF the law. A re-
quest was made BY Hon. James Guthrit
'or an appropriation, bu, it could not be
passed. kissane, in the meantime hac
jumped his bail, and the next heard Of him
we're his forgeries OH the Chemical Bank
OF New York in August, 1854, for which
he was arrested, convicted and sentenced
losing Sing prison, New York. Anon!
his effects, which were found at the tim.
!" MS arrest, were some notes Of five hun
'Fed dollars denomination ON the Chemi
cal bank Of New York. Eie was brouyh
!" New York hand cufisd and locked t,
Inc wrist of AT officer The Key to hi
"andc"ils was lodged safely in the pockc
VINE Chemica! Bank teller, who still live
"prohably as>i>. in the last chapter o
Assanc's criminal career. While in Sin.
''"s he offered to make full contcs>io,
" '"e martha Was',inston' stcamboa
conspiracy, and I" confirm the same ol
''e witness stand so as to aid the insuraul
companies in resisting the fraudulent sn;t
"'ught against them for fic,icious charges
'"e authorities concluded his testimon
"'"'a be available and useful for that Dur
p'>e as he might no: voluntarily give tn
,''o'"y If he served the full time. Fo
way reason hc was liberated and .hercaf,e
w. ''s 'u'! confession of the "Marth
,s' ","'"s'on" conspiracy, the burning G.
- 'oa' and the efforts to secure the in
''''ee The confession occupied abo,
~. s hundred pages of foo!scap. His gan.
S !" the most complete organization
,, NY "''"n i" the country, scattered i
'''e'"a''on =: when the fac, OF the conf.s
,: '' was made known. kissanr himse
,'s'ee his promise to the insurance con
sn''e' sr and fled to Nicaragua, where, unhs
"'t!eQ name !, ,,,. ...,